To celebrate hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, Billboard has released their “Top 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time” and Jay-Z and Nicki Minaj have come in at the top spot.
Nicki, who came in at number 10, was the only female rapper to reach the top ten, making her the best female rapper of all time.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, the singer, who gained notoriety as a member of rapper Lil Wayne’s Young Money crew, is now reputedly worth a whopping $130 million.
The outlet wrote: “She’s undeniably blazed the trail for the next generation of female MCs, while at the same time, building a legacy whose impact is hardly limited to the hip-hop world: Nicki is one of only a dozen artists to have more than 100 Billboard Hot 100 entries, and earned the MTV Video Vanguard Award in 2022 for her provocative music videos.”
However, as one person wrote, it left many divided: “And some of y’all are still lying to themselves saying she fell off.”
While another shared: “They’re so unserious bc we all know that Lil Simz and Lauryn Hill are miles better, and that’s only naming a few.”
Jay-Z on the other hand took the top spot.
The fifty-three-year-old rapper boasts fourteen Billboard 200 No. 1 albums, 140 million records sold, and twenty-four Grammy awards, so it’s understandable why he was picked as the GOAT.
Billboard wrote about the decision: “Beyonce Knowles-Carter’s husband has succeeded in every era, spitting regal-scented rhymes that speak to the struggle, and to the opulence that follows intensely self-made greatness.
“Maybe there are other rappers who could claim to match Jay at his peak. But there are simply none who can match his entire career — his longevity, the breadth of his accomplishments, and what he’s meant to hip-hop from a musical, cultural, and financial standpoint for the last three decades.”
Fans had a lot to say about the scoring…
One wrote: “For male rappers, it’s questionable. But for the female category, Nicki holds the belt. Not only does she have a music background but her freestyle and lyric improvisational skills are superb. She’s also incredibly versatile in how she can be super silly from one moment to straight-up hardcore the next. No other female rapper can do what she does.”
While another commented: “Wrong on both I’ve been into hip hop since 1980 and they don’t hold a candle to the pioneers. I own hundreds of hip-hop LPs and it’s funny how I don’t own any of their material.”
“Billboard’s ranking of Nicki Minaj and Jay Z as the greatest rappers of all time is a subjective list and is open to interpretation. While Nicki Minaj being the only female in the top ten list is a significant achievement, there will always be differing opinions on who should be considered the greatest.
“Hip-hop is a genre that has seen many great artists come and go, and it’s difficult to compare and rank them based on just one set of criteria. Ultimately, it’s up to individual fans to decide who they believe deserves the title of the greatest rapper of all time,” a third commented.
Those that also made it into the top 10 were rap icons Snoop Dogg, Drake, Lil Wayne, The Notorious B.I.G, Eminem, Tupac, Nas, and Kendrick Lamar.
What do you think of the decision?
